Until recently, archaeologists were essentially clueless about the archeological treasures that the Armenian Highlands hid under their ancient soil, but the most recent discoveries made by archeological missions in Armenia have revealed the importance of Armenia in the prehistoric ages. These discoveries are helping to reveal that a great part of human civilization started within the Armenian Highlands and that Armenian natives of the region are among the most ancient of peoples. This tour explores the most ancient sites of Armenia and tries to help visitors understand the importance of Armenian Highlands in the early ages of the history of Human Mankind.
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Itinerary map
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Tour Armenia: history and archaeology
Day 1: Arrival - Transfer to hotel
Arrival at Yerevan Zvartnots International Airport, meeting with our representative in the arrivals hall and transfer to hotel. Overnight in Yerevan.
Day 2: Visit of the city of Yerevan
Yerevan is the most relaxed city in the Caucasus, its history began in 782 BC, when King Argishti I of Urartu built the Erebuni Fortress at the point where the river Hradzan opens his way to the fertile plains of Ararat. Yerevan was the capital of several Muslim khanates and Persian governorates, until it was annexed to the Russian Empire in 1828. After breakfast the tour of the city of Yerevan starts with the visit of the State Museum of Armenian History, one of the best museums of the former Soviet Union, that gives an in-depth idea of the culture and history of Armenia by exhibiting more than 400,000 objects covering a period starting in the 3rd-2nd millennium BC to the present day. The Museum overlooks Republic Square, surrounded by the most beautiful buildings of the city, where the Stalinist style meets the Armenian architecture, and where every evening in the summer takes place the dancing fountain show. The tour continues with a visit of the Armenian Opera House, Cascade Complex, the immense staircase that connects the lower part of the city to its upper part, and that houses the museum of contemporary art of Gerard Cafesjian. Visits go on with Victory Park, where lies the large statue of Mother Armenia and from where you can admire the best view of the city. Lunch at a local restaurant with traditional Armenian cuisine and visit to the Erebuni Fortress, the original core of the city of Yerevan, located on the hill of Arin-berd (in the southeastern outskirts of the city), an important administrative and economic center of the Kingdom of Urartu. Dinner and overnight in Yerevan.
Day 3: Yerevan - Garni - Lake Vishaplich - Geghard - Yerevan
After breakfast, visit to Matenadaran, the museum that houses over 17,000 manuscripts and ancient codes. Drive to Kotayk region to visit the temple of Garni, a pagan Hellenistic temple and the only one to survive after the Christianization of Armenia in the fourth century AD, a true jewel of Armenian pre-Christian architecture. It was built by Armenian King Tiridates in the first century AD and after converting the country to Christianity it became the summer residence of the Armenian Royal Family. Lunch with the opportunity to attend the preparation of "lavash", the traditional Armenian bread baked in the "Tonir", the traditional oven. Ascent, with 4x4 vehicles on dirt roads (about an hour), to Lake Vishapilich where you can admire the famous Vishapakars (the dragon stones), carved stones of the 3rd millennium BC high up to 5 meters. On the slopes of Mount Ajdahak (3597m), there is also a large number of stone carvings that depict men in scenes of hunting and combat. Descent to Geghard Cave Monastery, located in a deep and spectacular gorge. The Monastery takes its name from the spear that pierced Christ's body which, according to a legend, was brought here by Thaddeus the Apostle, and here was preserved for centuries along with many other relics. Founded in the fourth century and destroyed by the Arabs in the ninth century, the monastery was rebuilt in the thirteenth century. The monastic complex, full of beautiful bas-reliefs, several interesting churches and rock tombs, represents the peak of Armenian medieval architecture. In 2000 it was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Return to Yerevan for dinner and overnight.
Day 4: Yerevan - Metsamor - Echmiadzin - Zvartnots - Yerevan
Breakfast in the hotel. Departure for Metsamor, where excavations have shown that in the early bronze age (late fourth-third millennium BC) Metsamor was a flourishing cultural center that had a significant influence on the historical and cultural development of the Ararat Valley. Recent studies define the site as a large urban-type settlement which occupied an area of 10.5 hectares and consisted of a citadel fenced by a wall and a gigantic zikkurat observatory located on a low mountain ridge. A small but rich archaeological museum houses a collection of artefacts found in the fort and in the necropolis, dating back to a period from the early Bronze Age to the Middle Ages. Continuation to the holy city of Echmiadzin, the seat of the "Catholicos" of the Armenian Apostolic Church. Visit the cathedral and the churches of St. Gayane and St. Hripsime; After a short drive, visit to the ruins of Zvartnots (UNESCO site), a cathedral that was one of the finest examples of Armenian architecture until it was destroyed during an earthquake in the late 10th century. Return to Yerevan and visit the open-air Vernissage market (open on Sundays and Saturdays). Dinner in Yerevan with folk music and tasting of Armenian tasty dishes. Overnight in Yerevan.
Day 5: Yerevan - Khor Virap - Noravank - Qarahunj - Sisian
After breakfast depart for the south-east to the monastery of Khor Virap, dominated by the snow-covered profile of the grandiose Mount Ararat, in an idyllic location near the border with Turkey. The fortified monastery houses inside the prison-pit (Khor Virap means "deep well") in which in the third century, he was incarcerated for 13 years, St. Gregory the Illuminator. This is also the place where took place the famous war between the Romans and Artaxata Armenians. It continues to the wine region of Vayots Zor, whose landscape is characterized by jagged gorges and rugged peaks. The area is also famous for the cave where it was found the world's oldest wine cellar (6000) and within which the archaeologists have unearthed a press for grapes, for fermentation containers, jars, wineglasses and remains of stalks, seeds and grape skins. Wine production, which took place near a burial place, was perhaps dedicated to the dead. Visit a winery near the village of Areni. Continue to the monastery of Noravank, architect Momik, surrounded by rugged Rocky Mountains of gray and red, with inside the two-story church, unique in Armenia, Surp Astvatsatsin, richly decorated with bas-reliefs . Lunch at local and continuation towards the south-east with a stop to visit the remains of the observatory Qarahunj restaurant, the "Stonehenge of Armenia", an astronomical observatory consisting of 204 megaliths in a circle or along large curved lines, some of which have holes aligned with the stars. The site, which is located on a hill surrounded by mountains, is also dotted with tombs dating back to 3,000 BC Arrival in Sisian in the evening. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.
Day 6: Sisian - Ukhtasar - Tatev - Goris
After breakfast drive north for an excursion with 4x4 vehicles (about 1.5 hours) to the Ukhtasar site (Mountain of Pilgrimage), Mount Tsghuk. Ukhtasar is an important rock art site around a small lake at 3300 m altitude, in which there are nearly a thousand rocks carved with abstract and figurative motifs carved thousands of years ago and which commemorate the daily life of the people who inhabited this area. Particularly numerous and rich are the petroglyphs depicting plants, flowers, animals, humans and geometric images but many of them also depict hunting scenes, fighting and dancing scenes. There are pictures of various animals and cosmic symbols, as well as geographical features such as rivers and lakes, and astronomical phenomena, such as the sun and moon, stars and lightning. Continue south to visit the monastery of Tatev, which you reach by Halidzor with "Wings of Tatev", the longest cable car in the world. The monastery is of fundamental importance for the understanding of art and medieval Armenian culture. The complex is located on a natural fortress as unique on the edge of the steep gorge of the river Voratan. Arrival in Goris, dinner and overnight at the hotel.
Day 7: Goris - Selim - Sevsar - Noratus - Sevan
After breakfast, visit Khdzoresk, a troglodyte village abandoned in the '50s with houses and stables carved in a hillside west of Goris. Many of the cave dwellings are connected to each other and in some cases the walls are adorned with arched shelving. Departure towards north through unforgettable landscapes of mountains, lush valleys and verdant meadows to the pass of Selim and visit of the ancient Orbelian caravanserai, an important station along the Silk Road, which testifies Armenia's importance as a major trading hub between East and West. After a short drive, arrival in Geghovit, a village not far from Lake Sevan, where there is an old observatory with a petroglyph representing the image of a meteorite carved on a huge stone block. There are also astronomical calendars and cave paintings (3rd - 1st century BC) on fifteen blocks in a space of about 1,000 square meters. Studies have found that the large round image represents a meteorite and adjacent images are constellations: so this could be a star map showing the area of the sky from where the fireball came down. Continuation to Noratus, whose cemetery is famous for its many khatchkars, stones carved in the shape of crosses typical of the Armenian artistic production. Visit the Sevan peninsula with its monastery Sevanavank. Dinner and overnight in Sevan.
Day 8: Sevan - Dilijan - Lastiver - Haghpat
After breakfast, drive to Dilijan, a small town known as "Switzerland of Armenia" and free time to walk in the restored city centre to visit the traditional workshops. Departure towards north to the caves of Lastiver, surrounded by dense forest and dug into the steep walls of the gorge of the river rock Khachagbyur at an height of 1,200 m. The caves are famous for dozens of sculptures representing humans and animals as well as some carved crosses. Lastiver caves were a sacred place already in pre-Christian times, while in the Middle Ages, during the Tartar-Mongol invasions, the caves served as a place of refuge for the inhabitants of nearby villages. The caes can be reached by walk (about half an hour) or on horseback. Lunch in a picturesque hut near the waterfalls and continue to the Lori region and to the valley of Debed. Arrival in Haghpat and visit the magnificent monastery listed as World Heritage Site. Dinner and overnight in Haghpat.
Day 9: Haghpat - Sanahin - Akhtala - Amberd - Agarak - Yerevan
After breakfast, visit the Monastery of Sanahin, famous for its university, the second UNESCO-protected monastery in the Debed valley. Continue to Akhtala, one of the few churches in Armenia with walls covered with paintings, executed between 1205 and 1216, representing one of the finest examples of Byzantine art outside of the Byzantine Empire. Continue to Amberd, a 7th century fortress located on the slopes of Mount Aragats at about 2300 m above sea level. Its name means "fortress in the clouds" and archaeological evidence shows that this site was inhabited since the Bronze Age and used to be a key defense site in the region until its conquest and destruction by Timur Lenk in 1236 . Descent to Agarak, to admire a rocky complex of the Bronze Age. Excavations on this site began in 2001 and brought to light a large number of rock-cut presses and storage tanks that show the predominant role of viticulture and winemaking in the economic life of its inhabitants. Becoming one of the most important points along the trade route leading from Ararat to Shirak and Ani, Agarak developed a flourishing economy, especially from the 4th-3rd century BC up to 2nd-4th century A.D. Near the site, Voskehat, there is also a series of petroglyphs depicting animals dating from the fourth to second millennium BC. Return to Yerevan to learn about the modern history of Armenians by visiting Tsitsernakaberd, the memorial to the Armenian Genocide, a dark page in the modern history, that pays tribute to the million and a half dead in the ethnic cleansing of 1915. Farewell dinner and overnight at the hotel.
Day 10: Yerevan - Departure
Transfer to the airport for the return flight. End of services.
Arrival at Yerevan Zvartnots International Airport, meeting with our representative in the arrivals hall and transfer to hotel. Overnight in Yerevan.
Day 2: Visit of the city of Yerevan
Yerevan is the most relaxed city in the Caucasus, its history began in 782 BC, when King Argishti I of Urartu built the Erebuni Fortress at the point where the river Hradzan opens his way to the fertile plains of Ararat. Yerevan was the capital of several Muslim khanates and Persian governorates, until it was annexed to the Russian Empire in 1828. After breakfast the tour of the city of Yerevan starts with the visit of the State Museum of Armenian History, one of the best museums of the former Soviet Union, that gives an in-depth idea of the culture and history of Armenia by exhibiting more than 400,000 objects covering a period starting in the 3rd-2nd millennium BC to the present day. The Museum overlooks Republic Square, surrounded by the most beautiful buildings of the city, where the Stalinist style meets the Armenian architecture, and where every evening in the summer takes place the dancing fountain show. The tour continues with a visit of the Armenian Opera House, Cascade Complex, the immense staircase that connects the lower part of the city to its upper part, and that houses the museum of contemporary art of Gerard Cafesjian. Visits go on with Victory Park, where lies the large statue of Mother Armenia and from where you can admire the best view of the city. Lunch at a local restaurant with traditional Armenian cuisine and visit to the Erebuni Fortress, the original core of the city of Yerevan, located on the hill of Arin-berd (in the southeastern outskirts of the city), an important administrative and economic center of the Kingdom of Urartu. Dinner and overnight in Yerevan.
Day 3: Yerevan - Garni - Lake Vishaplich - Geghard - Yerevan
After breakfast, visit to Matenadaran, the museum that houses over 17,000 manuscripts and ancient codes. Drive to Kotayk region to visit the temple of Garni, a pagan Hellenistic temple and the only one to survive after the Christianization of Armenia in the fourth century AD, a true jewel of Armenian pre-Christian architecture. It was built by Armenian King Tiridates in the first century AD and after converting the country to Christianity it became the summer residence of the Armenian Royal Family. Lunch with the opportunity to attend the preparation of "lavash", the traditional Armenian bread baked in the "Tonir", the traditional oven. Ascent, with 4x4 vehicles on dirt roads (about an hour), to Lake Vishapilich where you can admire the famous Vishapakars (the dragon stones), carved stones of the 3rd millennium BC high up to 5 meters. On the slopes of Mount Ajdahak (3597m), there is also a large number of stone carvings that depict men in scenes of hunting and combat. Descent to Geghard Cave Monastery, located in a deep and spectacular gorge. The Monastery takes its name from the spear that pierced Christ's body which, according to a legend, was brought here by Thaddeus the Apostle, and here was preserved for centuries along with many other relics. Founded in the fourth century and destroyed by the Arabs in the ninth century, the monastery was rebuilt in the thirteenth century. The monastic complex, full of beautiful bas-reliefs, several interesting churches and rock tombs, represents the peak of Armenian medieval architecture. In 2000 it was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Return to Yerevan for dinner and overnight.
Day 4: Yerevan - Metsamor - Echmiadzin - Zvartnots - Yerevan
Breakfast in the hotel. Departure for Metsamor, where excavations have shown that in the early bronze age (late fourth-third millennium BC) Metsamor was a flourishing cultural center that had a significant influence on the historical and cultural development of the Ararat Valley. Recent studies define the site as a large urban-type settlement which occupied an area of 10.5 hectares and consisted of a citadel fenced by a wall and a gigantic zikkurat observatory located on a low mountain ridge. A small but rich archaeological museum houses a collection of artefacts found in the fort and in the necropolis, dating back to a period from the early Bronze Age to the Middle Ages. Continuation to the holy city of Echmiadzin, the seat of the "Catholicos" of the Armenian Apostolic Church. Visit the cathedral and the churches of St. Gayane and St. Hripsime; After a short drive, visit to the ruins of Zvartnots (UNESCO site), a cathedral that was one of the finest examples of Armenian architecture until it was destroyed during an earthquake in the late 10th century. Return to Yerevan and visit the open-air Vernissage market (open on Sundays and Saturdays). Dinner in Yerevan with folk music and tasting of Armenian tasty dishes. Overnight in Yerevan.
Day 5: Yerevan - Khor Virap - Noravank - Qarahunj - Sisian
After breakfast depart for the south-east to the monastery of Khor Virap, dominated by the snow-covered profile of the grandiose Mount Ararat, in an idyllic location near the border with Turkey. The fortified monastery houses inside the prison-pit (Khor Virap means "deep well") in which in the third century, he was incarcerated for 13 years, St. Gregory the Illuminator. This is also the place where took place the famous war between the Romans and Artaxata Armenians. It continues to the wine region of Vayots Zor, whose landscape is characterized by jagged gorges and rugged peaks. The area is also famous for the cave where it was found the world's oldest wine cellar (6000) and within which the archaeologists have unearthed a press for grapes, for fermentation containers, jars, wineglasses and remains of stalks, seeds and grape skins. Wine production, which took place near a burial place, was perhaps dedicated to the dead. Visit a winery near the village of Areni. Continue to the monastery of Noravank, architect Momik, surrounded by rugged Rocky Mountains of gray and red, with inside the two-story church, unique in Armenia, Surp Astvatsatsin, richly decorated with bas-reliefs . Lunch at local and continuation towards the south-east with a stop to visit the remains of the observatory Qarahunj restaurant, the "Stonehenge of Armenia", an astronomical observatory consisting of 204 megaliths in a circle or along large curved lines, some of which have holes aligned with the stars. The site, which is located on a hill surrounded by mountains, is also dotted with tombs dating back to 3,000 BC Arrival in Sisian in the evening. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.
Day 6: Sisian - Ukhtasar - Tatev - Goris
After breakfast drive north for an excursion with 4x4 vehicles (about 1.5 hours) to the Ukhtasar site (Mountain of Pilgrimage), Mount Tsghuk. Ukhtasar is an important rock art site around a small lake at 3300 m altitude, in which there are nearly a thousand rocks carved with abstract and figurative motifs carved thousands of years ago and which commemorate the daily life of the people who inhabited this area. Particularly numerous and rich are the petroglyphs depicting plants, flowers, animals, humans and geometric images but many of them also depict hunting scenes, fighting and dancing scenes. There are pictures of various animals and cosmic symbols, as well as geographical features such as rivers and lakes, and astronomical phenomena, such as the sun and moon, stars and lightning. Continue south to visit the monastery of Tatev, which you reach by Halidzor with "Wings of Tatev", the longest cable car in the world. The monastery is of fundamental importance for the understanding of art and medieval Armenian culture. The complex is located on a natural fortress as unique on the edge of the steep gorge of the river Voratan. Arrival in Goris, dinner and overnight at the hotel.
Day 7: Goris - Selim - Sevsar - Noratus - Sevan
After breakfast, visit Khdzoresk, a troglodyte village abandoned in the '50s with houses and stables carved in a hillside west of Goris. Many of the cave dwellings are connected to each other and in some cases the walls are adorned with arched shelving. Departure towards north through unforgettable landscapes of mountains, lush valleys and verdant meadows to the pass of Selim and visit of the ancient Orbelian caravanserai, an important station along the Silk Road, which testifies Armenia's importance as a major trading hub between East and West. After a short drive, arrival in Geghovit, a village not far from Lake Sevan, where there is an old observatory with a petroglyph representing the image of a meteorite carved on a huge stone block. There are also astronomical calendars and cave paintings (3rd - 1st century BC) on fifteen blocks in a space of about 1,000 square meters. Studies have found that the large round image represents a meteorite and adjacent images are constellations: so this could be a star map showing the area of the sky from where the fireball came down. Continuation to Noratus, whose cemetery is famous for its many khatchkars, stones carved in the shape of crosses typical of the Armenian artistic production. Visit the Sevan peninsula with its monastery Sevanavank. Dinner and overnight in Sevan.
Day 8: Sevan - Dilijan - Lastiver - Haghpat
After breakfast, drive to Dilijan, a small town known as "Switzerland of Armenia" and free time to walk in the restored city centre to visit the traditional workshops. Departure towards north to the caves of Lastiver, surrounded by dense forest and dug into the steep walls of the gorge of the river rock Khachagbyur at an height of 1,200 m. The caves are famous for dozens of sculptures representing humans and animals as well as some carved crosses. Lastiver caves were a sacred place already in pre-Christian times, while in the Middle Ages, during the Tartar-Mongol invasions, the caves served as a place of refuge for the inhabitants of nearby villages. The caes can be reached by walk (about half an hour) or on horseback. Lunch in a picturesque hut near the waterfalls and continue to the Lori region and to the valley of Debed. Arrival in Haghpat and visit the magnificent monastery listed as World Heritage Site. Dinner and overnight in Haghpat.
Day 9: Haghpat - Sanahin - Akhtala - Amberd - Agarak - Yerevan
After breakfast, visit the Monastery of Sanahin, famous for its university, the second UNESCO-protected monastery in the Debed valley. Continue to Akhtala, one of the few churches in Armenia with walls covered with paintings, executed between 1205 and 1216, representing one of the finest examples of Byzantine art outside of the Byzantine Empire. Continue to Amberd, a 7th century fortress located on the slopes of Mount Aragats at about 2300 m above sea level. Its name means "fortress in the clouds" and archaeological evidence shows that this site was inhabited since the Bronze Age and used to be a key defense site in the region until its conquest and destruction by Timur Lenk in 1236 . Descent to Agarak, to admire a rocky complex of the Bronze Age. Excavations on this site began in 2001 and brought to light a large number of rock-cut presses and storage tanks that show the predominant role of viticulture and winemaking in the economic life of its inhabitants. Becoming one of the most important points along the trade route leading from Ararat to Shirak and Ani, Agarak developed a flourishing economy, especially from the 4th-3rd century BC up to 2nd-4th century A.D. Near the site, Voskehat, there is also a series of petroglyphs depicting animals dating from the fourth to second millennium BC. Return to Yerevan to learn about the modern history of Armenians by visiting Tsitsernakaberd, the memorial to the Armenian Genocide, a dark page in the modern history, that pays tribute to the million and a half dead in the ethnic cleansing of 1915. Farewell dinner and overnight at the hotel.
Day 10: Yerevan - Departure
Transfer to the airport for the return flight. End of services.
